| City of license | West Branch, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | Classic Hit Country 105-5 |
| Frequency | 105.5 MHz |
| Format | Classic country |
| ERP | 6,000 watts |
| HAAT | 91 meters |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 29288 |
| Callsign meaning | West Branch Michigan |
| Former callsigns | WBMI-FM (?-5/21/91) WBMI (?-?) |
| Owner | Peggy Warner |
WBMI is an American radio station, licensed to West Branch, Michigan, the seat of government for Ogemaw County. The station broadcasts at the assigned frequency of 105.5 MHz at an output power of 6,000 watts.
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Starting in 1960 "WMMW-FM" began broadcasting from West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut, covering much of the central Connecticut area. In 1962 the call letters became WBMI.[1] It's call letters referred to its parent company name, "Business Music, Inc." It was one of the first stations to broadcast in stereo in 1962 after the FCC standardized the multiplex system.[2] In 1977 it changed its call sign to "WKSS." Call letters "WBMI" were then reassigned to a station in Michigan. First going on the air on November 7, 1977, WBMI of West Branch, Michigan was the FM sister station of WBMB-AM, which first signed on the air June 7, 1972 at 1060 kHz with 1,000 watts output power. As WBMB was a daytime-only AM station for its entire existence, both stations simulcast one another from WBMI's sign-on in 1977, providing local listeners with local radio service after WBMB was mandated to shut down for the night as per FCC regulations.
WBMB and WBMI were a typical small-market radio station of their time, with few employees working shared duties, world and national news provided by Westwood One, and a mass appeal format of adult contemporary and oldies music.
WBMI and its sister station, for unknown reasons, were turned over to bankruptcy receivers Jack E. Kauffman and Robert S. Marshall in 1989, with both stations going dark by 1990.
In the summer of 1992, WBMI returned to the air as "Oldies 105.5" with the format provided via satellite by Jones Radio Network. WBMI was acquired by Daraka Broadcasting of Alpena, which also owned adult contemporary-CHR formatted WHSB (Bay 108). Daraka's intent was to cross-market several stations calling them the "Northern Radio Network". WBMB did not return to the air with WBMI, and under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, still having not returned to the air, its license was permanently canceled.
The Northern Radio Network effort ended in 2002, with WBMI going silent once again. The following year, WBMI was sold to Independent TV Productions. Independent TV Productions resumed WBMI's operations with Jones Radio Network's Hot AC format. During this time, the station imaged itself with various monikers, such as "Kool Mix 105.5" and "Channel 105.5." A few years later WBMI returned to oldies and then changed to classic country, all also satellite-fed from Jones.
In July 2005, industry sources reported that husband and wife Kevin and Alana Beamish, of Owosso, Michigan agreed to purchase the station for $300,000.[3]
In August 2005, a filing was submitted to transfer the license to a minority shareholder (Peggy Warner) on the basis that she had loaned money to the company. The transfer application included an agreement written by Mrs Warner purporting to transfer the license and related assets to herself.[4] The FCC dismissed the application.[5] Three days later, the application to transfer control of the license to the Beamishes was submitted and approved by the FCC, but the transfer was never consummated and the license stayed in the name of Independent TV Productions.[6]
In April 2008, the license was ultimately successfully transferred to Peggy Warner.[7]
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